A Convergent-Divergent Approach to Context Processing, General Intellectual Functioning, and the Genetic Liability to Schizophrenia.

Convergent and divergent validity are critically important in developing psychological measures that reveal interpretable deficits in disordered populations. This article reports on 2 studies that evaluated the validity of context processing measures. In Experiment 1, a confirmatory factor analysis of data from 481 healthy adults established the convergent validity of 2 context processing measures and showed that context processing accounted for significant amounts of variance in standard IQ and working memory measures. In Experiment 2, 20 schizophrenia patients, 16 of their healthy siblings, and 28 controls were evaluated using a novel, short context processing measure, the dot pattern expectancy (DPX) task. The DPX was sensitive to specific deficits in schizophrenia patients and their healthy siblings. These findings support the construct validity of context processing measures, suggest context processing is a component of intellectual functioning, and demonstrate that brief context processing measures remain sensitive to psychopathological deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lightweight,Thermally Insulating,Fire-Proof Graphite-Cellulose Foam

Foam materials are widely used in packaging and buildings for thermal insulation, sound absorption, shock absorption, and other functions. They are dominated by petroleum-based plastics, most of which, however, are not biodegradable nor fire-proofing, leading to severe plastic pollution and safety concerns. Here, a fire-proofing, thermally insulating, recyclable 3D graphite-cellulose nanofiber (G-CNF) foam fabricated from resource-abundant graphite and cellulose is reported. A freeze-drying-free and scalable ionic crosslinking method is developed to fabricate Cu²⁺ ionic crosslinked G-CNF (Cu-G-CNF) foam with a low energy consumption and cost. Moreover, the direct foam formation strategy enables local foam manufacturing to fulfil the local demand. The ionic crosslinked G-CNF foam demonstrates excellent water stability (the foam can maintain mechanical robustness even in wet state and recover after being dried in air without deformation), fire resistance (41.7 kW m⁻² vs 214.3 kW m⁻² in the peak value of heat release rate) and a low thermal conductivity (0.05 W/(mK)), without compromising the recyclability, degradability, and mechanical performance of the composite foam. The demonstrated 3D G-CNF foam can potentially replace the commercial plastic-based foam materials, representing a sustainable solution against the “white pollution”.     

Effect of heat-treatment conditions on the microstructure and ductility characteristics of steel 45

Steel 45 is widely used in machine building for fasteners and other components operating at both room and elevated temperatures. This steel has been rather widely studied, however, the investigation of its ductility characteristics, and tendency to brittle failure at elevated temperatures, as well as the establishment of a relationship between these parameters and microstructure, is of interest. The results of these investigations are presented in this paper.Scientific-Production Union Kompozit. Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 2, pp. 9–11, February, 1994.     

Anti-Aging Physiological Roles of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Its Dietary Regulators

The vast majority of the literature on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor is concerned with its functions in xenobiotic detoxification. However, in the course of evolution, this receptor had to have physiological (rather than toxicological) functions. Our aim was to review the aryl hydrocarbon receptor’s role in the physiological functions involved in aging. This study was performed by searching the MEDLINE and Google Academic databases. A total of 34 articles were selected that focused specifically on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and aging, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and physiological functions, and the combination of both. This receptor’s main physiological functions (mediated by the modulation of gene expression) were cell regeneration, the immune reaction, intestinal homeostasis, and cell proliferation. Furthermore, it was shown that the loss of this receptor led to premature aging. This process may be caused by the dysregulation of hematopoietic stem cells, loss of glucose and lipid homeostasis, increase in inflammation, and deterioration of the brain. We conclude that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, apart from its well-established role in xenobiotic detoxication, plays an important role in physiological functions and in the aging process. Modulation of the signaling pathway of this receptor could be a therapeutic target of interest in aging.     

Synthesis of sago starch laurate in densified carbon dioxide

Fatty acid starch esters are potential candidates for novel biodegradable plastics. This work describes a systematic study on the synthesis of starch laurate using sago starch and vinyl laurate (VL) in densified CO₂ as a green solvent. The phase behavior of the CO₂–VL system was investigated in a high pressure view cell and the critical point of the CO₂‐VL mixtures was shown to increase with temperature. Within the experimental window, sago starch laurate with a maximum degree of substitution (DS) of 0.97 is obtained. To the best of our knowledge, such high DS values have never been reported before for reactions in densified CO₂. Moreover, the presence of laurate chains in the starch backbone has a profound influence on the degree of crystallinity, the melt and crystallization temperature, and the degradation temperature of the final products. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:291–299, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

LISP-MN: Mobile Networking Through LISP

The current Internet architecture was not designed to easily accommodate mobility because IP addresses are used both to identify and locate hosts. The Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP) decouples them by considering two types of addresses: EIDs that identify hosts, and RLOCs that identify network attachment points and are used as routing locators. LISP, with such separation in place, can also offer native mobility. LISP-MN is a particular case of LISP which specifies mobility. In this paper we provide a comprehensive tutorial on LISP-MN, showing its main features and how it compares to existing mobility protocols.     

Contingencies of Western Asylum Policy: Coping with Dilemmas and Crises

Books reviewed in this essay: K.J. Bade and M. Weiner (Eds), Migration Past, Migration Future: Germany and the United States R. Münz and M. Weiner (Eds), Migrants, Refugees, and Foreign Policy: U.S. and German Policies Towards Countries of Origin K. Hailbronner and D.A. Martin (Eds), Immigration Admissions: The Search for Workable Policies in Germany and the United States K. Hailbronner, D.A. Martin and H. Motomura (Eds), Immigration Controls: The Search for Workable Policies in Germany and the United States P. Schuck and R. Münz (Eds), Paths to Inclusion: The Integration of Migrants in the United States and Germany